Town Square

New Paly athletic center to echo historic campus

A new state-of-the-art athletic center for Palo Alto High School &#150; to break ground next May or June &#150; will sit in the footprint of the school's two existing gyms and architecturally echo Paly's historic Tower Building.

If you are a paid subscriber, check to make sure you have
logged in.
Otherwise our system cannot recognize you as having full free access to our site.

If you are a paid print subscriber and haven't yet set up an online account,
click here
to get your online account activated.

Comments (27)

Like this comment

Posted by Jim H
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Sep 11, 2013 at 10:30 am

Will definitely be a nice addition to campus. But, a few questions/comments:

1) Didnt't Paly just build a new science building not too far back, maybe 6 years ago? It already needs to expand? When will a third high school open to alleviate the need to cram 2200 kids into a campus built for 1700?

2) When will the school stop being a construction zone and get back to being a school?

Posted by Confused
a resident of Downtown North
on Sep 11, 2013 at 11:22 am

To me, that only looks like one gym... I don't see how the loggia connects what could possibly be two gymnasiums unless the main gym is really really sunken...

The architectural design will definitely make it in line with the more historic buildings on campus, but why not go for a more contemporary take on the style like we see at Stanford? Seems like a great opportunity somewhat wasted...

Posted by Paly Parent
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Sep 11, 2013 at 12:32 pm

My kids were in elementary school when B 4 E started, continued through middle school. Now in Paly, our whole school experience has been portables, construction and making do. What school memories so many of our kids are going to have!

Posted by PA parent
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on Sep 11, 2013 at 10:37 pm

@ not the worst

You are obviously not very familiar with (fast) trains. Having lots of experience with trains (including HSR style trains), I can tell you that, first of all, electric trains are very quiet overall, and for sure, much, much quieter than the current diesel Caltrain.

Then, regarding the shaking, if the trains are to go really fast on this segment of their route, the rails will be replaced with much more advanced ones, and the shaking won't be so bad, if there is any. If the trains don't go that fast on this segment, then there won't be much shaking in the first place. There is also a relatively wide space between the school buildings and the tracks.

Lastly, only one row of classrooms on the very far eastern section of campus are impacted. In all honesty, I've spent lots of time on Paly campus and I have barely noticed the trains there if ever.

HSR will make the current train noise much better, not worse. There is a lot of disinformation out there on HSR. The noise issue is part of the disinformation.

Many worked hard on our new pool at Paly, and donated monies. The rendering seems to threaten the existing aquatic experience for student athletes - the scoreboard, lighting, bleachers, offices are gone. The arches by the pool would be fenced given the pool's security. Pool access seems not developed. I hope a few involved in aquatics can participate.

Posted by Mr.Recycle
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Sep 12, 2013 at 1:14 am

@PA parent - You might think you are familiar with HSR, but have you read the environmental impact report? It has a chart that shows HSR is louder than commuter rail. It might be quieter at the same speed, but at full speed it is substantially louder, even than freight trains.

Bob: scoreboard will move to opposite end of pool - above existing pump house. Lights stay. Pump house stays. Deck space same size. The upgrade will be bathrooms accessible on the pool deck and coaches will get real offices.

I would also like to add a huge "thank you" to the Peery family for this generous donation. And I agree with "Palo Altan" who says that the Peerys know how to get the project well built, well designed, come in on budget and be finished on schedule. I understand that as part of the donation, it was specified that they would choose contractor, architect, etc.

Posted by Nice, but...
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Sep 13, 2013 at 1:39 pm

This is great, and THANX, Peery Foundation, but what Paly really, really needs, according to generations of students, current and former, is some sound-dampening insulation and movement-control foundations in the buildings on the east side of the campus. The buildings in the vicinity of the CalTrain tracks shake, rattle and hum whenever a train goes by, to say nothing about the shock of the deafening noise. tIt is apparently hugely disruptive, as thousands of former students (and current ones) can testify. Teachers don't care for it much, either

Posted by PalyAlumni
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Feb 17, 2014 at 7:41 pm

Quit your whining and be happy that the Peery Family has made this generous donation. Typical Palo Altans, calling in the Police because your neighbor is cooking cabbage and you don't like how it smells. Get over yourselves about train noise and portables! New buildings have to be done sometime! And they can't just do it in one summer when kids are out of school.

Posted by Paly Dad
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Apr 1, 2014 at 12:12 am

Lived next to the train tracks for over 15 years and sent two children through Paly - The noise is NOT an issue unless you just what to complain about something. The new gym upgrades are decades behind the rest of silicon valley. Some complained and objected to the new fields especially the old upper field - now look at how well received they are. progress takes patience and will not negative shortsightedness.

Don't miss out on the discussion!Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.

Email:

Post a comment

Posting an item on Town Square is simple and requires no registration. Just complete this form and hit "submit" and your topic will appear online.
Please be respectful and truthful in your postings so Town Square will continue to be a thoughtful gathering place for sharing community information
and opinion. All postings are subject to our TERMS OF USE, and may be deleted if deemed inappropriate by our staff.

We prefer that you use your real name, but you may use any "member" name you wish.

Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund
For the last 23 years, the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund has given away more than $4 million to local nonprofits serving children and families. When you make a donation, every dollar is automatically doubled, and 100% of the funds go directly to local programs. Itâ€™s a great way to ensure your charitable donations are working at home.